The concept of a self-service grocery store was developed by entrepreneur Clarence Saunders and his Piggly Wiggly stores. His first store opened in 1916. Saunders was awarded a number of patents for the ideas he incorporated into his stores. The stores were a financial success and Saunders began to offer franchises. In the early days of retailing, products generally were fetched by an assistant from shelves behind the merchant's counter while customers waited in front of the counter and indicated the items they wanted. Most foods and merchandise did not come in individually wrapped consumer-sized packages, so an assistant had to measure out and wrap the precise amount desired by the consumer. This offered opportunities for social interaction: many regarded this style of shopping as "a social occasion" and would often "pause for conversations with the staff or other customers." These practices were by nature slow and labor-intensive and therefore also quite expensive. The number of customers who could be attended to at one time was limited by the number of staff employed in the store. This changed throughout time to be more cost effective and to give us the grocery stores that we are familiar with today. Answer questions like: How often do you go grocery shopping? What would you buy to make mashed potatoes? How much do you typically spend on groceries? And more to see what your shopping habits say about your personality!